Submitted by Tracy Pepper of Mount Maunganui My yoga teacher training programme required that I spend 25 days on an ashram practicing, and this had a profound effect on me. We happened to start these 25 days with hip opening. As we went through the various types of postures - which are grouped into these emotional releasing areas, it brought up a lot of "stuff". Stuff I thought I dealt with through years and years of therapy. Stuff I didn't want to deal with again. Stuff that made me … [Read more...]
How Yoda helped me not to worry
by columnist Gabrielle Harris Why worry There should be laughter after pain There should be sunshine after rain These things have always been the same So why worry now Why worry now Mark Knopfler Why worry? For about 20 years I suffered from low level anxiety to panic attacks that were bought on by being away from home. I since learnt the root cause of these but that is not what really saved me, YODA saved me. Stress, panic and anxiety are rife in our society. We worry … [Read more...]
How yoga helped me… find a truer and happier version of myself
by guest author Keron Martin, entrant in Vitality Link's Yoga Teacher Training Scholarship Competition For the last three years I have been practicing Vinyasa Yoga and it has changed my life, slowly and profoundly. It has led me to a truer and happier version of myself. The calm that Yoga presented to me was so incredible and lasting that I could not wait for the next opportunity to practice - this coming from someone who had always run on two speeds; fast and faster. When I was younger I … [Read more...]
What did you learn today?
by columnist Gabrielle Harris, The Suburban Yogini Whenever I pick my son up from school I glimpse the little sign on the gate: What did you learn today? Life is one big yogic experiment offering us plenty of lessons to grow and learn from daily. The trick is to be aware of what we learn and then put that lesson into action. For the really slow learners like me, the lessons are presented over and over again in different forms. I’m Vata, according to the Ayurvedic* health system. We learn … [Read more...]
Thinking of Quitting Your Job to Teach Yoga? 10 Questions to Ask First
by guest author Louise Thompson, Positive Balance Are you working in corporate but dreaming of jacking it all in to be a yoga teacher? Do you fantasize of days wafting about from class to class, no rush, and no hurry? It seems like nirvana as you struggle to focus on yet another board presentation. But, (as you can see from Kara-Leah’s excitement over her new job), is it? Is teaching yoga all leisurely days and packed classes and a blissed out existence? Having escaped corporate life … [Read more...]
Today I found my inner witch, and she denounced yoga
by guest author Emma Furness, former owner of The Dunedin Yoga Studio She has been in hiding – except those inevitable moments when repressed witches burst out in frustration, or the times women get together and end up cackling about blood and childbirth and the dirty body. As I felt into my wild, hook-nosed, barefoot old witch, I felt very earthed in my soft, dark, power-filled heart. This was strangely different from what I imagined I would feel once I let her loose to tell her … [Read more...]
How to make your office practice your yoga practice
by Gabrielle Harris Are you too busy at work to become liberated? Would aliens snatch you up out of your office desk for analysis because of that mindless look on your face? Do you want to incorporate more yoga into your daily work life? Here are a few simple tips to turn your office day into a yoga day. One of the definitions of yoga is to become disconnected from the connection to suffering. Going to work can potentially be a breeding ground for suffering. This is where we play out our … [Read more...]
Dumped by my Guru
by columnist Gabrielle Harris, The Suburban Yogini My freefall descent happened 6 months ago. It wasn’t gentle zen-like parachute descent, but the type of ungraceful fall where not only was I kicking and screaming, but all the office workers in the building I was sailing by were laughing and poking faces at me. My lesson on non-attachment had publicly arrived. It happened on my level 3 teacher training. I had travelled to Australia to be with the teacher I was attached to. He made me … [Read more...]
An Interview with Swami Muktimurti on the Yoga of Sound
Supplied by Anahata Yoga Retreat Anahata Yoga Retreat, just outside of Nelson, is once again hosting Swami Muktimurti from Mangrove Mountain, Australia during the Navaratri (9 nights) celebrations. An expert in Mantra, ancient Sanskrit and singing, Swami Muktimurti and Swami Muktidharma (NZ Acharya) are presenting a retreat focused on Nada Yoga, or the yoga of sound, during this auspicious astrological time. We caught up with her during this retreat to gain some more insight on this … [Read more...]
How yoga helped me… enjoy a fulfilling pregnancy
Submitted by Mandy Lawson of Cobano, Costa Rica The day I found out that I am pregnant with my first child was one of the most astounding, emotional and happy days of my life so far. In our minds we can imagine how we will feel and react when something long awaited happens, but this was much more intense that I could have guessed. I doubt that I will ever forget the amazement and disbelief that I encountered upon seeing the two little pink lines on the pregnancy test. I just kept … [Read more...]